Ohio Breweries by Rick Armon

Ohio Brewing Co. announced that it's shutting down its production brewery in Akron because of a dispute with its landlord. But the closure is only temporary and Ohio Brewing is not closing permanently, co-owner Chris Verich said Friday. (Oct. 4)

The brewery is being "forced to vacate our premises" at the Selle Generator Works building on South High Street and is looking for another location in the area with a better lease, he said.

"Unfortunately we do have to leave," he said. "We are looking for a new facility. We'll be down hopefully only for a short time."

One of the major issues with the landlord involves rent, Verich said. Landlord Tony Troppe, who owns the building along with Todd Ederer, declined to comment.

Verich, who released the news on the Ohio Brewing Facebook page, said the brewery is "looking for more capital and this might be the best thing for us to work out a new situation."

The brewery still has beer for sale and Verich was unsure if Ohio brands would disappear from bars, restaurants and store shelves during the transition period. There's a possibility that Ohio beers could be made on contract at another brewery in the interim, he added.

Ohio Brewing ran into a similar issue when it closed its brewpub in downtown Akron in 2009. It later re-opened as a production brewery at its current location. During that transition, its beers were made on contract at Elevator Brewing in Columbus.

Ohio Brewing is holding one last party at its current location from 7 p.m. Friday to 2:30 a.m. Saturday. The party is designed to pay back beer fans for their support, Verich said, and to provide an opportunity for him to explain the brewery's situation.